When it comes to his dramatic work, Adam Sandler has found just the right approach for himself. Sandler has taken on roles that if they were a bit broader, could easily be one of his comedic roles. Films like Punch-Drunk Love or Reign Over Me played off the rage that often hides under the soft-spoken attitude of Sandler’s characters, while his last dramatic role in Uncut Gems maximized Sandler’s inherent charm and grandiosity into what might be his best performance.

Sandler’s latest excursion into drama with Jeremiah Zagar’s Hustle harnesses Sandler’s clear love for sports. That love has been obvious since early on in his career, with Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy, and The Longest Yard, and even Kevin Garnett playing a major part in Uncut Gems. But while these films had fun with Sandler’s admiration for sports, Hustle turns it into a strength, showcasing a heartfelt love for the game of basketball, in a film that once again proves that Sandler’s greatest gifts lie in how he utilizes the talents he has learned from years in comedy and molding them into wonderful dramatic roles.

In Hustle, Sandler plays Stanley Sugerman, a former basketball player-turned-talent scout for the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s tired of spending weeks on the road, looking for the next great thing in basketball, and when the team’s owner (Robert Duvall) offers him an assistant coach position, it looks like he’s finally where he’s wanted to be for so long. But as the team turns over to the manager’s son (Ben Foster), Stanley is sent back on the road, with promises that if he finds the team’s missing piece, he’ll be back in the coaching gig.

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Image via Netflix

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Stanley thinks he finds what he's looking for with a one-on-one basketball hustler, Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangomez), who takes to the court in boots and lives with his mother and daughter. Stanley knows he’s found something special with Bo, but when the 76ers pass on Bo, Stanley decides to dedicate himself to the potential star and get him into the NBA.

Hustle doesn’t work without a strong bond between Stanley and Bo, and thankfully, Sandler and Hernangomez are quite lovely together. Sandler is excellent in the mentor role, and while Hernangomez isn’t much of a talker, he can say a lot with a look or his demeanor. While Will Fetters and Taylor Materne’s screenplay is hitting many of the trainer-trainee tropes one would expect from a sports film, and Zagar’s direction fills Hustle with one too many training montages, they also turn this dynamic into an affecting relationship about two men who desperately need someone to believe in them and find that in each other.

However, in this relationship, Hustle focuses too much on Stanley and not enough on Bo’s life—which is often hinted at and seems even more compelling than Stanley’s. Bo has clearly had to struggle over his 22 years, with a sordid history that ends up causing him trouble throughout the film. When Bo first meets Stanley, he worries about pursuing this dream and losing his job, worried that he won’t be able to take care of his mother and daughter. There’s a worthwhile story there, but, unfortunately, Fetters and Materne don’t give him the same amount of attention they give Stanley.

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Image via Netflix

Thankfully, Stanley is a fantastic lead, and his attempt to get Bo success never feels lecherous for his own needs, but rather, that Stanley is great at his job, a scout who loves basketball and wants the game—and the players he finds—to be the best they can be. Again, through the performance as Stanley, we can feel Sandler’s deep love for basketball coming through, a passion that feels earnest when coming from Sandler. This doesn’t feel like just acting, this feels like a genuine part of who he is.

In addition to the bond between Stanley and Bo, Hustle also is particularly delightful when focusing on the family relationship between Stanley, his wife Teresa (Queen Latifah), and their daughter Alex (Jordan Hull). Sandler and Latifah made an excellent team, as a couple of former athletes who found love in college, and their love is palpable whenever these two share the screen. This family dynamic also helps build up a spirit of support and caring for others that Hustle thrives in. It’s just unfortunate that Hustle doesn’t show that same level of attention to Bo’s family as it does to Stanley’s.

Of course, with this type of sports/training/mentor film, Hustle can’t help but fall into the occasional cliché, yet that focus on support and care and a dedication to helping others reach their potential make those platitudes go down a bit easier. Hustle isn't breaking the mold of what a sports film can be, but it is yet another reminder of Sandler's gifts as a dramatic actor through an extremely charming and compelling story about a mentor trying to help another reach their potential.

Rating: B

Hustle is now available to stream on Netflix.